Cook resume examples from 2026
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How to write a cook resume
Craft a resume summary statement
Your resume summary sums up your experience and skills, making it easy for hiring managers to understand your qualifications at a glance. Here are some tips to writing the most important 2-4 sentences of your resume:
Step 1: Start with your current job title, or the one you aspire to. Are you a passionate manager? A skilled analyst? It's a good starting point.
Step 2: Next put your years of experience in cook-related roles.
Step 3: Now is the time to put your biggest accomplishment or something you are professionally proud of.
Step 4: Read over what you have written. It should be 2-4 sentences. Your goal is to summarize your experience, not recite your resume.
These tips will help you demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for the cook position.Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.
List the right project manager skills
Many resumes are filtered out by hiring software before a human eye ever sees them. A robust Skills section can let recruiters (and bots) know you have the skills to do the job. Here is how to make the most of your skills section:
- Start with the job listing. Frequently, the keywords looked for by recruiters will be listed. Be careful to include all skills in the job listing you have experience with.
- Consider all the software and tools you use on a daily basis. When in doubt, list them!
- Make sure you use accurate and up to date terms for all the skills listed.
Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a cook resume:
- Food Handling
- Food Service
- Cleanliness
- Kitchen Equipment
- Basic Math
- Culinary
- Customer Service
- Quality Food
- Quality Standards
- Math
- Patients
- PET
- Safety Standards
- Rehabilitation
- Food Storage
- Work Ethic
- HACCP
- Fine Dining
- Food Products
- Exceptional Guest
- Slicers
- Cash Handling
- Mixers
- Stoves
- Senior Care
- Portion Control
- La Carte
- Broilers
- Dishwashers
- Fryers
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
How to structure your work experience
Next you should include your work experience. Structure your work experience section by listing your most recent experience first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order.
Start with your job title, company name, city, and state on the left. Align dates in month and year format on the right-hand side.
Include only recent, relevant jobs. Avoid including work experience over 20 years to avoid ageism.
Beneath each job, you should have bullet points to emphasize why you're the perfect fit for the cook.
How to write cook experience bullet points
Your resume is your chance to show your biggest accomplishments. Don't just list your job responsibilities, instead take the opportunity to show why you're really good at what you do. Here is how you do that:
- Start with strong action verbs like managed, spearheaded, created, etc. Your goal is to show what you did and verbs will help demonstrate your contributions.
- Use numbers to quantify your achievements. Did you save time with a new report? Increase revenue? How large was the team you managed?
- Keep it concise. You're highlighting your achievements. Consider if all details you are sharing are relevant, or can be written more efficiently.
Here are great bullet points from cook resumes:
Work history example #1
Pizza Cook
International Dairy Queen
- Used all kitchen equipment like fryers, grills, broilers and ovens.
- Loaded dishwashers and hand-washed items such as pots, pans, knives.
- Cleaned machines, cleaned work area, cooked food, helped set up for banquets, and washed dishes.
- Acted as a prep cook, grill cook, and dishwasher.
- Inspected previously washed dishes to check for cleanliness.
Work history example #2
Grill Cook/Prep
Sonic
- Prepared customer orders * Cleaned kitchen after closing * Operated grill and fryer * Cleaned dishes after closing
- Prepared food to include special orders * Cleaned kitchen after hours * Ran the dishwasher
- Ensured proper communication between all members of the kitchen staff to maintain standards of quality.
- Showed great team work because without team work and communication u have nothing.
- Washed dishes, glassware, flatware, pots, and/or pans using dishwashers or by hand
Work history example #3
Line Cook/Dishwasher
McDonald's
- Sanitized and washed dishes for next use.
- Worked at a fast pace while keeping an open line of communication Worked as a team
- Established and maintained effective communication system.
- Organized Follows directions Keep up with orders Restocks as necessary The entire job is teamwork and cooperation Cleans workplace regularly
- Bussed dining area, cleaned condiment stand and washed dishes
Work history example #4
Kitchen Helper
Wendy's
- Washed dishes and stocked diner.
- Operated cash register and POS system.
- Washed dishes, took out trash, and cleaned the floors.
- prepared food for customers, and wash dishes..
- Washed and dried all restaurants dishes and eating utensils in the dishwasher area.
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
Add an education section to your resume
The education section should display your highest degree first.
Place your education section appropriately on your resume. If you graduated over 5 years ago, this section should be at the bottom of your resume. If you just graduated and lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education. If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.
Here are some examples of good education entries from cook resumes:
High School Diploma
2014 - 2014
Highlight your cook certifications on your resume
If you have any additional certifications, add them to the certification section.
Include the full name of the certification, along with the name of the issuing organization and date of obtainment.
If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your cook resume:
- OSHA Safety Certificate
- Certified Food Manager (CFM)
- Food Safety Manager Certification
- Certified Professional - Food Safety (CP-FS)
- ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification
- Certified Dietary Manager (CDM)
- EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA)
- Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS)
- Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
- First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor